Loading F6B on back of pickup.....

My wife and I just bought a used travel trailer and was wondering if the F6B would fit on the back of my truck while pulling the trailer. I have a 2001 Chevy Silverado 1500 Z71 5.3l engine with a standard bed which is 6.5 feet and when the tailgate is open goes to 8 feet. I checked and the length of ramp that I would need is 12 feet and is 3.5 feet wide so I could walk it up and down. Just wondering if anyone has loaded theirs in the bed of their truck and if it fit well? I have a condor wheel chock and would want to mount this in the front of the bed.

Think you will find the B is longer that 6.5 feet

I think Bike in truck will do fine, I would be more concerned with the tailgate open and making turns with a trailer hooked to truck

That's what I was thinking when thinking about it being too big for truck.
You would have to leave the tail gate down.

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Originally Posted by zzh54

I think Bike in truck will do fine, I would be more concerned with the tailgate open and making turns with a trailer hooked to truck

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I was thinking about the turning radius also. I believe that the propane tanks may limit this.

Bad idea in my opinion. As the front wheel gets onto the flat surface or the bed of the truck and the rear wheel still down the ramp make sure the bottom of the bike doesn't bottom out on the top of the ramp.

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Originally Posted by zeus661

Bad idea in my opinion. As the front wheel gets onto the flat surface or the bed of the truck and the rear wheel still down the ramp make sure the bottom of the bike doesn't bottom out on the top of the ramp.

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That's why I have to use a 12' ramp.

I just bought a new travel trailer and was wondering how I could take my bike too. One concern I had was the extra 900 lbs. on the rear axle. The bike is too long for the short bed. Where do you store a 12 x 3.5 foot ramp? If your truck has the towing capacity perhaps a small single bike trailer makes more sense behind the RV.

I recommend you do a quick search for aluminum motorcycle ramps. You will find excellent gear that is designed to load heavy bikes into a pickup.

Do I understand that you are planning for the bike to rest it's rear wheel on the tailgate? AND pull a trailer? Your call but I think you are planning on luck to make that work on a trip.I wouldn't do it...

The gate will most likely be in the way and it does not support much weight anyway. I have not done this but have given some thought to it. Remove the tail gate. Build an extension to the truck bed and support it from the hole in the bumper that is there for a trailer ball up to the rear of the bike. Bed extension will be much narrower than the gate and not restrict turning ability. It can even elevate the back of bike if needed but I don't think that would be necessary. The ramp will temporally attach to the extended support and should be foldable so it can be stored in the bed of truck. Thinking out loud.

Not an F6B but I drove 300 miles with my Concours in the back of my tiny S-10 without issue. I mounted a Harbor Freight locking wheel chock which required drilling 4 holes through the bed. It's just a work truck so wasn't an issue. You could instead mount it to a piece of 3/4"x4'x8' plywood with carriage bolts sticking up from the bottom. Used giant tie-downs attached low and high.
Your Silverado is much bigger so it could probably handle the size of the B, but she's almost 1/2 ton so you'll need a helluva strong 12' ramp. Consider using a loading dock or some area that has an elevated area that you could back up to when loading.
http://i60.tinypic.com/10yo07q.jpg

Found this video when searching for "motorcycle loading fail". (I hate to see people fail, generally avoid these types of videos, but they can often be useful to see where mistakes can be made)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfk_vGVYlYc

Getting a certified welding shop to extend the reach on your trailer would solve the problem with the turning radius?

I have a friend that does that all the time. He has a piece of channel iron the width of the tire which is bolted to the bed. He then ratchets down the front and rear so there is no shock action. The disadvantage is can't cover the bike with it's cover.

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Originally Posted by stepbill

My wife and I just bought a used travel trailer and was wondering if the F6B would fit on the back of my truck while pulling the trailer. I have a 2001 Chevy Silverado 1500 Z71 5.3l engine with a standard bed which is 6.5 feet and when the tailgate is open goes to 8 feet. I checked and the length of ramp that I would need is 12 feet and is 3.5 feet wide so I could walk it up and down. Just wondering if anyone has loaded theirs in the bed of their truck and if it fit well? I have a condor wheel chock and would want to mount this in the front of the bed.

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Chevy tailgate will bend and buckle....I have seen it happen 3 times. New trucks are cheaply made...you can try a diamond plate tailgate protector to spread the weight but Like I said I have seen it happen with 700lb Harley's.

A 9 foot ramp with an arch in it will get the bike in fine. The short bed is the issue. I've had mine in an f 150 short bed with said ramp. Back tire on the tailgate.

Agree especially with newer trucks and structurally deficient tailgates. I would NEVER rely on a tailgate to support a motorcycle.

A tailgate is not an extension of the load carrying capacity of the bed.

Your bike. Your money. Your investment.

I just hauled a CB750 back from Florida last weekend. F150 crew cab with a 6’ bed so yes, had to run with the tailgate down. Of course, your looking at about 535 pounds so a big difference. The best part was the loading and unloading. Seller had a HF lift so we just pulled that thing into the driveway, lifted the bike, and pushed her in. Got home, backed into garage, and unloaded with my lift. Hey maybe that’s your answer. Carry one of those $279 lifts with you.:D

There was a longer thread on this subject sometime back. The general consensus was it's a bad idea, however to each there own as I've happily ran with some sketchy loads in my truck before. My issue would be the 1/2 ton short bed truck. The bike alone puts you a near capacity and then your adding a trailer to it. Bike or trailer by themselves and you'd probably be alright but together I'd think you'll be asking for some type of mechanical/structural failure. You'll do what you need to make it work, however it may require some truck upgrades to do safely. Keep that in mind and with some thought an planning you should be okay.

You could ride it up into the bed no problem, but even with a wide enough ramp it would be dangerous backing it off. If you fall over, the 900# bike's on top of you. 900# is close to what a 1/2 ton p/u should carry. These guys have some good ideas, think long & hard and go with what feels right, trust you gut. The other idea would be to leave the camper & tow the bike on a trailer.

I've seen many auto loaders that remove the danger of loading/unloading. Most also give support behind the bed that the tailgate is really not strong enough to accomplish. I think the tail gate strength is irrelevant as it needs to be removed to allow turning room for the trailer.

I have a suggestion, go to the Baxley trailer website. Save yourself the hassle and get one of them.

Just put the bike on a trailer attached to a hitch ball on the back of the camper.

I can understand the want of just using a truck to carry a bike. At least for me; the need to transport a bike is of almost no requirement these days; though on the off chance that I would need to...

I do have a cargo trailer but it just sits in the backyard collect debris from each passing season, and costing me $51,00 every two years for registration renewal.

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Originally Posted by willtill

I can understand the want of just using a truck to carry a bike. At least for me; the need to transport a bike is of almost no requirement these days; though on the off chance that I would need to...

I do have a cargo trailer but it just sits in the backyard collect debris from each passing season, and costing me $51,00 every two years for registration renewal.

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That is an expensive comma.

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Originally Posted by jmdaniel

That is an expensive comma.

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Lol... that's what happens when you post bleary eyed; first thing in the morning....

I've used one of these to load my GW into a 1-ton Dodge Ram: http://www.cruiserlift.com/cruiserramp
The rear tire of the Wing was sitting just an inch or two into the bed and I had to take the tailgate off as well.
We did a round trip from Louisiana to Maine and back with it.
I don't think it's going to completely fit in your bed.
BTW, I have that lift ramp for sale as I no longer have a need for it...or the truck.

Came across this video of a guy loading his Africa Twin into a pickup, some great ideas but you will need upgraded gear to move the weight of the F6B.
https://youtu.be/ZctHKwWo2U4

I use a sheet of 1"1/8th plywood to compensate for the crappy tailgate. Distributes the weight better. Getting it in in out is the fun part.